Photography, Chemotherapy and Priorities

Dark TV screen with rainbow colours around the reflection of a light source, (c) Carole Edrich 2009

Chemotherapy for aggressive breast cancer ended a little more than ten years ago. When it started my brother asked me what he could get me to make me feel better. I said a new camera. He got me this TV. I think I turned it on twice.

Something similar – but in a way bigger – happened with the moblog community. When they heard of my diagnosis a group got together a fund to help me through my treatment. Apparently they asked my friend Sprocket what to do with the money. He said that they shouldn’t give it to me all at once because I’d spend it on a new camera. They wanted me to use the money on my health, so I had to tell them when I needed things not covered by the NHS (vitamins, acupuncture and things like that).

I will never forget or stop appreciating the people for helping me so much. I am still in touch with most (or at least follow them on instagram when I can). I hope I can one day live up to their support and their faith in me.

This post is lifted from my old moblog where it was published with other images on 29th December, 2009. More than a photoblog, moblog is a wonderful community where I made lasting international friends, some of whom I’ve visited and many more of whom are as important in my life today as those I meet regularly in meatspace. More authentic, more ethical and sadly less well funded, I’ve been missing it increasingly as we discover the perfidy of Facebook and the brave new Social world. Contact me if you’d like to know more, because I’d really like to find a way to make moblog great again and extend it to anyone else who wants to share their images in a place of mutual support, community and data safety.